Self adjusting pulley mount for traction device

ABSTRACT

A self adjusting pulley mount for traction devices constructed for mounting on a portion of a bed or chair for movement therewith while coordinating with a fixed pulley and weighted cable to afford movement of a sling end of such cable connected to an extremity of a patient under traction whereby the patient may change positions without requiring readjustment or replacement of the traction rig.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,856,003

Pfluger Dec. 24, 1974 [54] SELF ADJUSTING PULLEY MOUNT F0 2,831,4824/1958 Cobb 12 8/84 C TRACTION DEVICE 3,063,445 11/1962 Ries 128/75 [76]lnventorz Harold P. Pfluger, 340-6T Vallejo FOREIGN PATENTS O lCA'IIOTISMillbrae, Ca 30 214,231 11/1908 Germany 128/84 (3 [22] Filed: Sept. 21,1973 Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet [2]] Appl. No.: 399,289Assistant Examiner-J. Yasko [52] U.S. Cl. 128/75, 128/84 C 57 ABSTRACT[51] Int. Cl A6lh l/02 [58] Field of Search 128/75, s4, s5, s3, 70, ASelf adlustng Pulley devces 128 /71 72 73 74 structed for mounting on aportion of a bed or chair for movement therewith while coordinating witha 56] References Cited fixed pulley and weighted cable to affordmovement of a sling end of such cable connected to an extremity ofUNITED STATES PATENTS a patient under traction whereby the patient may1,213,373 1/1917 Hollowell 128/84 C ha positions without requiringreadjustment or re- Siebrandt C placement of the traction 1,366,6121/1921 Vallee 128/84 C 2,230,620 2/1941 Leiter 128/84 C 2 Claims, 7Drawing Figures SELF ADJUSTING PULLEY MOUNT FOR TRACTION DEVICEBACKGROUND of a bed for creating traction for a patient in such bed orchair. Such devices usually include a pulley supported on such devicefor positioning a weighted end of a cord or cable outside the chair orbed and an opposite end disposed within the confines of the latter forconnection to an extremity or part of a patients body while seated in orresting upon such bed. These devices usually require the patient to liestill during connection to the traction device. They also requirereadjustment should the patient wish to sit up from a lying position orto lie back upon a horizontal bed after being in traction in a sittingposition.

The present invention seeks to overcome the need for changing oradjusting the location of a traction device due to the change ofposition of the patient using the same.

THE PRESENT INVENTION This invention has as its object the provision ofmeans for supporting traction device pulleys relative to a bed, bedsteadand/or chair in a condition to accommodate change of position of thepatient under tractron.

It is another object to provide a traction device adapted for mountingon a movable portion of a bed such as the adjustable back-rest portionthereof. By this arrangement the patient may continue using the tractiondevice as applied regardless of his change of position from lyingtositting up and vice-versa.

' It is another object of this invention to provide a pulley mountadapted for up and/or down movement upon a base supported by the bed orback-rest thereof.

It is still another object to provide such pulley mount with a pivotmount such as to be self aligning between the patient and the weightsuspended end of the traction cable of the device. By this arrangementregardless of movement of the patient to one or the other side of centerof the bed, i.e., allowing him to lie on either side in lieu of on hisback only, the traction exerted by the device is still applied withoutchange in its position or adjustment thereof upon the bed.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent in the following description when read in the light ofthe single sheet of drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a hospital bed illustrating thetraction rig employing the present invention in situ relative to apatient;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view similar to that of FIG. 1and seen from the opposite side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the bed of FIGS. 1 and 2 with theback rest level;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the tractionrig of FIGS. 1-3 and at enlarged scale relative thereto showing thepulley mount; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail of the pulley mount as modified with selfadjusting hinge in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the head end of a bed as of FIG. 3illustrating the articulation of the hinge feature of FIGS. 5 and 6 whenthe patient changes position in the bed.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in the drawing thetraction device generally designated 10 includes the usual cord or cable11' having a weight 12 at one end and a sling 13 at its oppositeattachable to an extremity of the body of a patient P at rest in a bedB. The Cable-ll is usually strung over a pulley or series thereof in amanner to exert a direct, in line, pull upon the sling 13 attached tothe extremity of the patient.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The traction device 10 inaccordance with the present invention includes a weight supportingpulley 15 adapted to be mounted as at 16 in offset condition on onestead S of the bed B or the back of a chair (not shown) to enable theweight to move up and down on that portion of the cable 11 suspendedfrom the pulley offset outside the bed (or chair). In combination withsuch fixed pulley 15, the present invention further comprises anadjustable mount 17 for a pulley means 18 including a base 19 with clamp20 for securing the same to a portion of the bed in a position tocooperate with the fixed pulley l5 and to create in line traction at thesling end 13 of the cable 11 strung through the pulley mount 17. e

As best seen in FIG. 4 the clamp 20 is channel shaped to embrace aportion of the bed to which it is to be attached. A thumb screw 21extends through a threaded bore 22 on one flange 23 ofthe channel shapedclamp 20 for securing the latter to that portion of the bed embracedthereby. A boss 24 extends outwardly from the other flange 25 insubstantial alignment with the clamp screw 21. This boss 24 has a rod 26extending axially therefrom to receive a C clamp portion 27 of the mount17 for the pulley means 18.

The pulley mount 17 in its simplest form comprises an endless strap ofmetal formed to provide the C clamp portion 27 and two pairs oftrunnions 28-29 for the pulley means 18. The C clamp 27 has a pair ofleg portions provided with aligned bores to receive the rod 26 for upand down movement of the pulley mount 17 and pulley means 18 relativethereto. The bight portion of the C clamp 27 has a centrally disposedthreaded bore normal to the axis of the rod 26 for receiving a threadwing screw 30 for securing the pulley mount in any desired positionsalong the rod. It should here be noted that the rod 26 has a flattenedsurface 31 exposed to the threaded wing screw 30 which when engaging thesurface 31 will prevent turning of the pulley mount 17 relative to therod 26. Obviously, the rod 26 i may be of round stock with one flattenedsurface 31 or square stock as well as hexagonal stock for the samepurpose, so long as they glide easily for up and down movement in thealigned bores in the legs of the C clamp 27.

The pulley mount 17 (FIG. 4) has its two pairs of trunnions 28 and 29formed to support pulley means 18 for two pulleys 32 and 33. Thesepulleys 32 and 33 are journaled on axles 34 and 35 offset relative tothe C clamp 27 portion. The axles 34 and 35 are transverse to the rod 26for supporting the pulleys 32'and 33 one above the other in alignmentparallel to the rod 26.

The same arrangement is embodied in the modified form of pulley mount 17shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this modified mount 17', however, the legportions of the C clamp portion 27 are inset in narrower parallelrelation toward center of the clamp, i.e., the axis of the wing screws31. That portion of the pulley mount 17' consisting of the two pairs oftrunnions 28 and 29 is the same shape as before. However, the twotrunnions have a pair of arms 28'29 extending laterally therefrom toembrace the inset leg portions of the C clamp portion 27 for pivotalconnection therewith. The pivotal connection is provided by a bolt 36extending through aligned bores in the arms 28'-29 and the inset legs ofthe C clamp portion 27. By this arrangement the trunnions 28-29 for thepulleys 32 and 33 move as a unit about an axis-a-parallel to the rod 26and relative to the C clamp portion 27' secured thereto (FIGS. 5 and 6).

In operation the base 19 is adapted to be secured to any part of a bedB. It is best suited for mounting on the adjustable back rest of ahospital bed as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In FIG. 7 it will be notedthat the channel clamp 20 of the base 19 is preferably secured to theback rest of the bed B in offset relation to longitudinal centerthereof. This is done to place the pulleys 32 and 33 in the pulley mountin alignment with the fixed pulley on the head stead of the bed. Withthe pulley mount 17 or 17 thus disposed the cable 11 easily trains overthe pulley l5 and in line with either lower or upper pulley 32 or 33 onthe pulley mount.

A patient P is ordinarily required to lie horizontally upon a bed whentraction is applied to the neck. In such position the sling 13 fits thechin and neck of the person as shown. The cable 11 would normally betrained over the fixed pulley 15 only on the head stead of the bed so asto create a pull upwardly upon the patients chin and neck.

With the pulley mount 17 or 17' of the present invention applied to theadjustable back restas previously explained the traction applied wouldbe the same. The cable 11 would be trained through the pulley mountbetween the upper and lower pulleys 32 and 33 as shown. The entire mount17 or 17' would be secured upon the rod 26 at such an elevation as tocause the uppermost pulley 32 to bear downwardly upon the cable 11 asshown in FIG. 7. This would create a direct line pull along the spinalcord in the neck upwardly as shown.

Should the patient wishto sit up or have the back rest raised to aninclined condition as shown in FIGS. 1 and- /or 2 no readjustment of thetraction rigging need be made. The base 19 and rod 26 remains secured tothe back rest and the cable 11 transfers automatically from the upper tothe lower pulley 33 in the pulley mount. Thus the pulley mount 17 ofFIGS. 1 and 4 accommodates such change of position by the patientwithout any change in mounting of the traction'device 10.

To enable the patient to roll from a position flat on his back to aposition wherein he lies on his side, the modified fonn of pulley mount17' of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is employed. With this mount 17' the trunnionportion thereof will swing to one or the other side about the axis-a-ofthe bolt 36 (FIG. 7). This is a self adjusting movement created by theangular position of that portion of the cable 11 extending from thesling 13 to the pulley mount 17. While this self adjusting feature isillustrated in FIG. 7 with the back-rest of the bed disposed in aninclined position, the action is the same when the latter is lowered tohorizontal position as in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2.

Having thus described the traction twice in specific detail it will beappreciated by those skilled in the art that it may be susceptible tovariations, alterations and- /or modification without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention therein as defined in the followingclaims.

Iclaim: 1. In a traction device of the type having a sling adapted forconnection to the extremity of a patient in a bed support and the likeon which a pulley is affixed to a bedstead and over which a cablesecured to such sling is trained and having a weight at its opposite endfor creating traction beneficial to such patient:

A self adjusting feature including a base adapted to be secured to theadjustable backrest of such bed for movement therewith between itsinclined and horizontal positions; between the sling and fixed pulley ofsuch traction device and comprising in combination therewith:

a. a rod fixed to and extending upwardly from said base;

b. a pulley mount arranged for up and down movement on said rod andhaving a pair of pulleys journaled one above the other on axesperpendicular to said rod whereby a lowermost one of said pulleysengages said cable when the backrest is inclined and the uppermostpulley engages the cable when the back rest is horizontal;

c. a C clamp for said pulley mount for securing the same to said rod ina position to afford in-line traction to the extremities of the patientconnected to said sling; and

' d. a pivotal connection between said C clamp and said pulley meansfacilitating swinging movement of the latter about an axis parallel tosaid rod to compensate for change of position of the sling end of saidcable within the bed by reason of movement of the patient therein.

2. The traction device in accordance with that of claim 1 in which saidpivotal connection includes on said C clamp a pair of leg portionsextending laterally therefrom, a pair of anns formed on the trunnionportion of said pulley mount; and a bolt extending through the arms ofsaid trunnion portion and the leg portions of said C clamp in parallel,offset relation to said rod facilitating swinging movement of said pairof pulleys on said pulley mount in accordance with the angulardisposition of the sling end of said cable relative thereto.

1. In a traction device of the type having a sling adapted forconnection to the extremity of a patient in a bed support and the likeon which a pulley is affixed to a bedstead and over which a cablesecured to such sling is trained and having a weight at its opposite endfor creating traction beneficial to such patient: A self adjustingfeature including a base adapted to be secured to the adjustablebackrest of such bed for movemeNt therewith between its inclined andhorizontal positions; between the sling and fixed pulley of suchtraction device and comprising in combination therewith: a. a rod fixedto and extending upwardly from said base; b. a pulley mount arranged forup and down movement on said rod and having a pair of pulleys journaledone above the other on axes perpendicular to said rod whereby alowermost one of said pulleys engages said cable when the backrest isinclined and the uppermost pulley engages the cable when the back restis horizontal; c. a C clamp for said pulley mount for securing the sameto said rod in a position to afford in-line traction to the extremitiesof the patient connected to said sling; and d. a pivotal connectionbetween said C clamp and said pulley means facilitating swingingmovement of the latter about an axis parallel to said rod to compensatefor change of position of the sling end of said cable within the bed byreason of movement of the patient therein.
 2. The traction device inaccordance with that of claim 1 in which said pivotal connectionincludes on said C clamp a pair of leg portions extending laterallytherefrom, a pair of arms formed on the trunnion portion of said pulleymount; and a bolt extending through the arms of said trunnion portionand the leg portions of said C clamp in parallel, offset relation tosaid rod facilitating swinging movement of said pair of pulleys on saidpulley mount in accordance with the angular disposition of the sling endof said cable relative thereto.